Charlie Howard

Charles O. Howard (January 31, 1961 – July 7, 1984) was an American hate-crime victim in Bangor, Maine in 1984. As Howard and a male companion, Roy Ogden, were walking down the street, three teenagers all under the age of 18, harassed Howard for being gay. The youths chased the pair, yelling homophobic epithets, until they caught Howard and threw him over the State Street Bridge into the Kenduskeag Stream, despite his pleas that he could not swim. He drowned, but his friend escaped and pulled a fire alarm. Charlie Howard's body was found by rescue workers several hours later.
On Saturday, July 7, 1984 Charlie attended a potluck supper at Interweave. Leaving the party about 10 PM with his friend Roy Ogden, Charlie decided to walk to the post office to retrieve his post box mail. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school children began to slow down. . In the car were 3 boys all under the age of 18 and two girls. They had been at a party and had left to purchase alcohol with a fake ID that one of the girls had in her possession.. Seeing Charlie, the boys got out of the car and decided to give chase. The two girls remained in the car.

Charlie began to run when he recognized the vehicle from an earlier incident. Shouting epithets, the boys gave chase. Charlie fell and because of his asthma could not catch his breath. Roy ran further down State St and stopped and observed.[1]

Pouncing on Charlie, the boys began beating and kicking him. One of them shouted to throw Charlie over the bridge and grabbed him by the legs. Another grabbed Charlie and they began lifting him. Pleading for his life, Charlie grabbed the rail and begged them not to throw him in the river as he could not swim. Prying his hand loose, they began to pitch him over the rail, with the last boy giving the final push. The boys then returned to the car where the girls were trying to start the car. Spying Roy Ogden, they threatened him not to tell anyone. Roy Ogden then ran for help and pulled the first fire alarm he came to on State. St.[1]

Soon, the sirens could be heard. An immediate search for Charlie began amongst the concrete walls that retain the Kenduskeag. At 1 AM Charlie was found. An autopsy would later show he had suffered from a severe asthma attack and drowned..[1]

Returning to the party, the boys bragged about their misdeed. The next day the oldest boy turned himself in after learning what had happened. The other 2 boys got scared and decided to leave town on a freight train and then thought better of it. Returning home, they were arrested.
The boys were sent to the Hancock County Jail and later released into their parents’ custody. The boys were tried as juveniles and sentenced to the Maine Youth Center not to exceed their 21st birthdays. The boys were sentenced on 1 OCT 1984. According to the Bangor Daily News, "Baines was released after serving two years and Mabry was released after 22 months.

The following Monday a memorial service was held at the Unitarian church. From the church, a walk began Charlie's murder site where his mother requested that a rose be dropped into the Kenduskeag. Looking up at a nearby wall, someone had spray painted "faggots jump here"...

From the Bridge, the mourners walked to the police station where they stood in silent observance. Along the route, the crowd was hurled homophobic epithets.
Twenty-five years later, The Bangor Daily News tried to locate all three boys, now middle-aged men, for their views. The whereabouts of two of the men are unknown. Jim Baines lives and works in Bangor. Following his release from the detention center, Baines spoke regularly about tolerance to local students and even address the Maine State Legislature in "support of a bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation". In addition, Baines co-authored the book “Penitence” with Ed Armstrong in 1994. That same year, Shawn Mabry expressed his regrets about his participation. He stated that he thinks about Charlie Howard everyday .

Today, a short distance from Charlie's murder site, a memorial has been erected. July 7, Charlie’s death date, is now Diversity Day in Bangor.